Aston Uni to set up first biomass to hydrogen centre
Aston University will explore how biomass can be converted into low carbon hydrogen by setting up the first integrated, lab scale centre.
The new centre is being enabled by a £300,000 grant from the Wolfson Foundation, which the university will use to acquire gasification, membrane separation and fuel cells equipment.
The university’s campus-based Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI), which is focused on funding new ways to convert biomass into sustainable energy sources, will host the new equipment.
By setting up the new centre, the university expects to find opportunities for national and international collaborations on low carbon hydrogen production and use along with helping the UK Government’s target to transition to net zero by 2050.
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Professor Patricia Thornley, director of EBRI, said: “We are delighted to receive this generous grant which will help place EBRI at the forefront of hydrogen technology development in the UK.
“Researchers have a crucial role to play in supporting new energy technologies and this new facility will contribute to the Government’s 2050 net zero target.
“As well as all the new opportunities this holistic and novel approach will bring, it will involve diverse stakeholders including policy makers, academics, industrialists, etc.
“I am looking forward to using the new facilities to support industrialists and developers progressing technology scale-up in this important area.”
Paul Ramsbottom, chief executive of the Wolfson Foundation, said: “Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute is well-placed to support the UK’s continuing journey towards achieving net zero.
“We are delighted to be supporting new facilities which will help them deepen their collaboration with industry in efforts to generate, store and utilise sustainable hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. It is a crucial area of research.”
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